Study Guides | 1. motion | Rube Goldberg Cartoons

Study Guide: Rube Goldberg Cartoons

Directions

1. Create a first draft of an original Rube Goldberg cartoon. Take the time to do a good drawing. Effort and quality are important.
2. Draw the cartoon the way Rube Goldberg did, with outlined panels. One panel should describe the steps of the machine. The other should illustrate the machine, with each step labeled, A, B, C, D, etc. See examples below.
3. The machine must include at least four steps. Use a variety of simple machines.
4. See Study Guide — Six Simple Machines.

Rube Goldberg

Rube Goldberg was an American Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, and his work is a classic example of the melding of art and science. He began his career as an engineer, but soon focused on cartooning.

Rube Goldberg’s artwork mocked society’s fixation on technology. His most popular drawings depict complex gadgets that performed even the simplest tasks in convoluted, elaborate ways, known as Rube Goldberg Machines.

Goldberg only drew the pictures, and never built any of his inventions. However, his pictures have become an inspiration for those who challenge themselvews to create wild inventions to solve everyday problems.

Example Cartoons